A&M’s Karis Jochen Named SEC Freshman of the Week

BIRMINGHAM – The women’s SEC Freshman of the Week honor in cross country was shared between Texas A&M’s Karis Jochen and Sandie Raines of Arkansas the league office announced on Tuesday.

Jochen was the top freshman finisher among Division I schools at the 12th annual Greater Louisville Classic as the covered the 5,000-meter course in a time of 17 minutes, 36.02 seconds to place ninth among a field of 170 runners. Jochen was the second A&M finisher in the race as the Aggies tied Kentucky for the team title with 92 points apiece among Division I schools.

This was just the second race for Jochen in an Aggie uniform. The local product from A&M Consolidated finished second in the Rice Invitational held earlier in September as Texas A&M claimed the team title by 35 points over the host Owls.

Raines placed sixth in the 25th annual Chile Pepper Festival the Razorbacks hosted and won with 16 points.

The national cross country top 30 rankings included Texas A&M women among 10 teams receiving a vote this week. In South Central region rankings the Aggie women remained No. 3 behind Arkansas and Texas while the A&M men were No. 4 behind Arkansas, Texas and Rice.

This Friday the Aggies will compete in the Houston Baptist Invitational with the meet being held at the St. Agnes Athletic Complex on the corner of Bellaire and Fondren in Houston. Teams scheduled to compete include Baylor, Houston Baptist, Nicholls State, Rice, Texas Southern and Southern-Baton Rouge.